Monitoring events in Balochistan, CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor), China's Belt and Road Initiative and it's economic and strategic implications, Pakistan Military operations and ongoing Baloch struggle.News and Reports are collected from open sources to raise awareness among scholars, researchers and public in general.

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China fears political instability in Pakistan could hurt CPEC

China recognises that the future of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) depends much on the political stability that Islamabad can ensure and the country's financial climate in the time to come.

Pakistan's political stability has been a matter of international spotlight for years and critics of CPEC have repeatedly pointed towards it as one of the biggest risks in CPEC. It is a risk that experts in China too are well aware of, apart from the obvious shortcomings of the economy. "In the past few years, investors from both China and Pakistan got too excited about the CPEC, and they overlooked the problems with the Pakistan economy," Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Cooperation, told the state-run Global Times. "Now, they need to carefully assess potential risks in some projects, and Pakistan's ability to repay its debts."

Earlier this week, Pakistan-based Dawn reported that the country had asked China for fresh loans worth up to $2 billion. In April, Chinese banks had already lent $1 billion to Pakistan. With the International Monetary Fund already expressing concern over the country's macroeconomic future, the concerns may well be rubbing off on the Chinese as well.

The added possibility of political instability does not do much to help either.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, widely seen as only a caretaker Prime Minister, is expected to face a stiff challenge when Pakistan holds elections in July. The suspected role of the military behind the wings may further dent the process of democracy here. Add rampant corruption and it makes for a cocktail possibly too deadly for the Chinese to gulp. "Political instability and widespread corruption are still serious issues in Pakistan, and it is crucial to strike a balance between political strategy and business profitability," Global Times quoted Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, as saying.

Nontheless, China has attempted to highlight that there are more advantages than disadvantages associated with CPEC and are firm that it would help in regional stability. Profitability, however, may well be a differnt ball game - one much riskier

The Newspaper's Staff CorrespondentOctober 25, 2017QUETTA: The provincial cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft for establishing a medical university in Balochistan.Health minister Mir Rehmat Saleh Baloch made the announcement while speaking at a press conference after a cabinet meeting.“The cabinet has approved the draft of the medical university which would be presented in the current session of the Balochistan Assembly,” he said, adding with the assembly’s approval the Bolan Medical College would be converted into a medical university.Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2017

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